Grace turned back to Gee. ‘Chris, one thing in particular I want you to look for is evidence of any missing bedding, in particular a duvet or duvet cover.’

Gee nodded, making another note.

‘Worried Mrs Paternoster might be out of her comfort zone, chief?’ Potting quipped.

It brought a few grins. Grace smiled at the DS. ‘Norman, I know you’ve tended to favour divorce in the past, but just supposing you decided to murder your wife, what would you have in your house that you’d utilize to carry her body out of your home and into your car, to take her to a deposition site?’

Potting thought for a moment. ‘I don’t know, boss – maybe a tarpaulin or a roll of spare carpet – or perhaps plastic sheeting?’

‘OK,’ Grace said. ‘Do you have any of those things in your home, Norman?’

He shook his head. ‘No.’

‘Exactly. What you do probably have is a duvet. Right?’

‘Yes,’ he replied hesitantly.

‘Duvet covers or curtains are the favoured items for a person who murders their partner to wrap the body in. They don’t like to see their dead lover’s face looking at them.’

Kevin Hall chipped in. ‘You’ve got to remember, boss, Norman’s a farmer’s son – he’s used to sleeping on straw.’

Grace grinned, then said, ‘Chris, look at the beds for any missing duvets, and the closets and airing cupboard for anything like a pillowslip with no duvet cover – they tend to come in sets. And check the curtains.’

Gee nodded.

‘Jack, can you contact the duty Inspector to set in motion a rota of scene guards?’

‘I have that on my list,’ replied Alexander, who was noting down all the actions.

‘Good stuff.’ Grace went on, turning back to Gee. ‘I noticed when DI Branson and I interviewed Paternoster that he was wearing an Apple Watch and a Fitbit. Arrange for those to be taken off him and sent to Digital Forensics when he’s booked in to the custody block.’

‘Absolutely, sir.’

Turning to DC Soper, he said, ‘As I requested, Louise, seize the BMW and have Collision Investigations examine its satnav and computer, and collate that with what the ANPRs show – they should reveal where it has been during the past two weeks. We may be looking for possible deposition sites for Eden’s body.’

‘Will do, boss.’

He turned to Emily Denyer. ‘I need you to find out everything about the couple’s finances. Any insurance policies on her life, anything that might indicate her husband having something to gain from her death.’

Then he briefed his Outside Enquiry Teams. ‘Go and talk to all the Paternosters’ immediate neighbours. See what they know about the couple – and, crucially, when any of them might have seen Eden. Maybe some of them had security cameras outside their houses. We need to establish the last confirmed sighting of her. We also need to check the CCTV in and around the stores at the Holmbush Centre. With the new information we have received regarding their phones, I want checks to be made at Parham House for both last Saturday and yesterday to see if there is any record of the Paternosters being there on either or both days. They are closed now but it needs to be done first thing in the morning.’